With graduations happening, new chapters in many people’s lives are starting. There will be new adventures and exciting times. There will be people out there who choose to not attend a college or university. Some will choose a certificate that will lead them to a manual job with high pay, or continue to work at their jobs.
We tend to celebrate those that achieve the most by the rules set forth by others. We sometimes neglect those that survive and achieve goals by overcoming some of the greatest hardships in life.
When my nephews graduated from high school everyone wanted to know where they would go to school and what they were going to do. They went a semester or two to community college. Then, they got jobs and started working. They earned their own money, got out on their own, and are happy successful individuals.
Now some college education and instruction came later to help career paths and knowledge. Neither one is a graduate of a 4-year program. Both are successful and happy. That is what it’s all about I thought?
I am a believer that all kids need to be celebrated and appreciated for their accomplishments. Those that rose to the top of their class and those that just barely graduated. Look up the statistics for CEO’S and business owners. The percentage of Valedictorians that go on to become CEO’S and business leaders is relatively low.
The people that were not always the best in school, end up being some of the most successful people. There is an easy answer for this, they out worked everyone else. They took more risks. They didn’t take the easy path in life, they carved their own.
There are kids graduating high school right now who barely made it through school. They didn’t apply themselves or study or even care. Fast forward 6 or 7 years later. Some of those kids are making great money in a trade or skill they learned. They are working harder to be successful. They didn’t get a full ride to college. That is okay. I am not knocking those kids at all. I had enough scholarships to pay for almost all of my education at Texas A&M.
The point is, if we don’t take the time to celebrate every young person about to be thrown into the real world, no one else will. 99% of these kids don’t know how to file taxes, balance a checkbook, understand credit scores, or know who their local representatives are in politics. Scratch that last one. Most you adults don’t know either, that is another discussion.
At any time, when you are at these graduation ceremonies, be sure all kids get a high five, congratulations, and a great job pat on the back. You are not less of a person for wishing the school bully the best in their future life. How we treat these young people will determine a lot in our future.
The last couple generations of kids tend to have a lot of anxiety and fear for the world we live in. The truth is, we are not using up all of our worlds’ resources and studies show that as the population grows, we become smarter about our resources. We use less land, less water, and less energy to live. In the last 100 years, poverty has dropped 99% across the globe. People in Africa have a diet of over 2000 calories a day. Obesity is now a concern with some parts of Africa.
The achievements from the western civilization have provided a better world than any other nation on the globe. It was done through innovation, hard work, and taking chances. That is what these future graduates need to know. There is a lot of good in this world. They can do great things - not just as a CEO, or world leader, but they can do it by just working hard to make other’s lives better.
So, as you are at these celebrations and ceremonies, clap loud for EVERYONE. Be a cheerleader for all young people. Some of those kids will never stand on a stage again. Some of them might be the next president. As you sit in graduation and have the urge to make a snide remark about anyone, remember, that kid who barely made it out of high-school could be the one who fixes your plumbing problems, your car, your foundation, or your heart. You never know where they end up. With positive words and attitudes, it can give these young people the confidence to achieve greatness. There is plenty of negativity in the world, be a positive light.
“Graduation is not the end of education.” - Lailah Gifty Akita
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